Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1887-08-25
SIEGE OF TnE ALAMO.
4. Eye-Wtsmrss Tells a Thrilling STORY "s
That rvighsfui Rmte hrry.

II shall never forget the day wheT
Young Maverick dashed into our camp
with the news that Travis, refusing to
retreat, was shut up in the Alamo and
surrounded 10y an o, srwhe.mins force
while Housto on was so weak he could
not come to his rescue, said Col. H.
l.. Crompson, OF Roxbury, Mass, the
only living American who was u VII
ness of the Alamo massacre, to II New
Yorl; Commercial al-Adveriisef re
porter.
| started to join the imprisoned
band. Ii was IA hopeless undertaking.
as soon found when got bullet III
me. cr,wled away in the darkness
A Mexican. whom | had beiriended
during our occupation OF the city, gen.
erously agreed to conceal me in his
house. \ narrow window commanded
an excellent view of one front of the
Alamo wall. and from this point
could see nearly all of that meinora-
able struggle.
..Day after day the Mexican fire was
kept up. and time after time were
their ,storming columns hurled against.
the old church wall which formed the
Texan rampant. But nothing could
disturb the defenders. At the close ol
each day the Lone star flag iloated as
proudly. and, apparently. as securely
as ever from the ROOF oi the MISSION
/ The Mexican losses were fearful. Their
clumsy escopetas were no match Tor
the long Hawkins rifles. Hundreds
ieli every day, but they were littit'
missed from that overwhelming host
while every man of the garrison who
died was an irreparabie loss. ihe lire
along the wall grew very tiiin. sian
/ there was no thought OF surrender. At
/ length when death and wounds had
reduced the poor handful to han ITS
I original numbers, the MeAicans ei.
/ fectel Il lodgm.nt ON an unieiended
part of the wall. Instantly they went
/ in'by hundreds.
although there was nowno hope Oh
success, the brave Texans fought as
steadily and firmly rs on the first day
of the Siege. From room to room
went the fight. The puny MeSicans
learned from bitter experience the
deadly power OF bowie knives ANA
clubbed rifles in the hands of desperate
Americans. Bul nuiil;si t'i""i""'o
has it's limits. At last santa Anna
was master of the Alamo, but not I'M
til the last American lay cold in deaf h.
From my window i could hear the
shouts and yells and see The struggling
figures.
: .Nhen all was over ] beg sed my
host to 90 into the Alamo and bring
me news of all that hasi occurred. lie
came back in an hour or two ana SAID
tha. such a shanbles neve, had be- n
seen before. The dead were l,eaped ~
wild commission throughout the build
ing. The cutters fairly ran with
blood. I'm II room on the ground lioor
was the corpse oi Col. Bowie. lie had
been butcherel upon hi' sick bed. Not
far from him was found the brave and
eccentric Davy Crockett. bnt the
most impressive sight was III "A small
room in The upper story, where the
gallant Travis lay, II bullet hole ~ ms
forehead -trpwn around hia were
Tie corpSes OF fifteen MeNicans. who
had died by his hand. Of the TeAal.
not one survived, hat they did not die
unnVengei. No less than one thon
sand six hundred Mexicans lei. before
he's. than one hundred a:ii fifty Amer
leans.